Low temperature electron-phonon resonance in dc-current-biased two-dimensional electron systems

Effects of resonant acoustic phonon scattering on magnetoresistivity are examined in two-dimensional electron systems at low temperatures by using a balance-equation magnetotransport scheme direct controlled by the current. The experimentally observed resonances in linear resistivity are shown to result from the conventional bulk phonon modes in a GaAs-based system, without invoking leaky interface phonons. Due to quick heating of electrons, phonon resonances can be dramatically enhanced by a finite bias current. When the electron drift velocity increases to the speed of sound, additional and prominent phonon resonance peaks begin to emerge. As a result, remarkable resistance oscillation and negative differential resistivity can appear in nonlinear transport in a modest mobility sample at low temperatures, which is in agreement with recent experiments.